Transition And Restart 119 Chapter Five, 2016, Extended Stay: 7

Despite feeling sweaty and dirty after a long day on trains Kyoko saw herself as a princess for the first time in her life. Maybe because that was the image mirrored in Yukio's eyes whenever she looked at him.

"We'd better go home now," Yukio said. He tightened his grip on her hand. "Funny, I've longed for being just normal for a while now, but now." He hesitated a little. "I don't know."

She looked at him again. Dishevelled clothes and hair that needed was.h.i.+ng despite the last day's hot spring bath. He had dirt under his nails, and his s.h.i.+rt sported a stain from their dinner. He probably stank just as much as she did. He was the most beautiful person she had ever seen. 'And you're all mine!' The thought scared her a bit. 'Does that make me yours?' "I know what you mean. So let's catch a train," she said. 'No, it doesn't scare me. Not if it is you.'

On their way to the train she saw students from different schools returning home from cram school. It was still summer, but the faces they met were already preparing for autumn. 'So much that has happened. And it's only been a month. But from now on we're back to our usual lives.' "Yukio?"

"Yes?"

"I haven't told my parents about you. Do you hate me for that?" 'Where did that thought come from?'

He stopped and took both her hands in his. "Why would I?"

They were probably in the way of people busying between trains, but she didn't care. "I don't know. I'm sorry. It was just a stupid thought." Kyoko let her fingers grab his and faced him.

He leaned closer to her. "Don't call yourself stupid. I can't talk with my own parents about my parents, if you know what I mean."

She thought she understood what he was thinking. "Uhum."

"There are things we don't want to talk about." He fell silent for a moment and moved them both closer to a wall where they didn't block the pa.s.sage. "Not the same things for everyone, but I believe all of us have something we feel uncomfortable talking about."

Yes, she had understood. 'We think alike. This isn't just me falling in love. I can love you and be friends with you at the same time.' "I want to introduce you, but I think you'll get a cold welcome. That scares me."

"As long as you prepare me for what they don't like it's fine." His eyes were soft and caring.

Kyoko felt frustration rise in her. "It's so stupid. They're like really old fas.h.i.+oned, and for them a divorce is because those involved were bad people."

"Maybe they were," he grinned. "It ended up in a divorce after all."

"Yukio! Don't joke about that! You've never said anything bad about your parents. Just that they can't live together."

"Yeah, sorry my bad. I didn't mean to make you angry."

She sighed and let go of one hand. The other she kept in a firm grip as they started walking again. "I'm not angry. It's just that… It's just that I want them to like the one I like. Ah, that didn't make any sense, did it?"

Yukio laughed and pulled her close. "It makes a lot of sense. I often feel that way myself." He turned silent and took a few steps more. "You know, when I find someone who makes me laugh I want the entire world to laugh. When I found you I wanted everyone to love you as well." He blushed at his own words. "But I wanted you to love me more than any of the others," he added. This time he looked down as if embarra.s.sed.

Kyoko smiled. Those words filled her with warmth and a tingling sensation of being special. "I do."

"Yeah," he whispered. "I believe that now. I really love you."

This time the warmth carried different feelings. She wasn't just special. She was loved as well.

They got on a train, slept a little shoulder to shoulder and got off at a station where they changed to another local train that took them to their station. It was a different one than the station Urufu usually biked to. He was too much in love with that biking of his to be sensible if she understood Yukio correctly.

They had half an hour's walk home. It was a little heavy with their bags, but she didn't mind. Every minute alone with Yukio was worth savouring.

When they pa.s.sed the mall where she had seen him the first time she absent-mindedly noticed that Urufu's bike wasn't locked to the stand. And it shouldn't have been. She knew that, but seeing that bike under the café had once meant that she could find Yukio upstairs. Now he was by her side.

"I wonder how they're doing," she said. "Urufu and Kuri-chan I mean."

Yukio dropped his bags to the ground, looked up and stretched. "I know what you mean," he said. "Let them out of sight and you never know what stupid things they'll do."

They shared a laugh at that.

"Sometimes Kuri-chan feels like an unruly little sister that I have to take care of," Kyoko said. She looked at Yukio and saw a knowing smile play over his lips.

"Urufu, my little brother. Yeah man, that's about it," Yukio countered. "What would they do without us?"

And they laughed again, loud enough for some people around them to frown. That only made them laugh some more.